In and Out of Thy Mind

Goodness or intelligence, which is more crucial in the world we live in today? Would it be the goodness so that one would treat others nicely with no malicious intent? Or should it be intelligence so that one knows how to manipulate to fulfill their desires?

Goodness itself is a controversial definition. One man’s good is another man’s evil. The laws by which we abide by are made from the general majority’s view of what goodness is. Unfortunately without intelligence, goodness is vulnerable to stupidity. If a person was good but not intelligent, people would easily take advantage of the situation. Goodness without intelligence is called naiveté, one who doesn’t understand the ways of the world. Naiveté never lasts for long, the world makes sure that one who is naïve soon learns intelligence whether it be great intelligence or just enough to get by.

Intelligence comes in many ways, whether it is scholar intelligence, or just being intelligent about the world. Without goodness, intelligence usually is used for selfish intent. Someone with great intelligence can manipulate people by saying the right things and acting the right way. Selfish intent can get a person far in their life in both social and financial standing, but the price is losing the trust of others and trust within themselves. Some people begin to wonder who they really are, if they’re the person others perceive or if they are someone else.

Without the proper mix of both intelligence and goodness, one finds themselves miserable and taken advantage of throughout their lives, though usually the two balance out. Someone who is intelligent knows that in order to be happy, one must retain a sense of goodness. Someone who is good to people will eventually learn no to trust everyone so easily and in turn become intelligent. One takes care of the other and vice versa, creating a sense of balance throughout the world because we all know that we cannot appreciate what we have without knowing that we could have just the opposite.